A tape banding machine binds square, rectangular, round or trapezoidal stacks by passing at least one tape around them; in the event that several tapes are used, these are passed around the stacks either simultaneously or consecutively. The packed products may be either hard or very soft. Thus for example printed products, trimmings, quilts, labels, banknotes, cheques, visiting cards, books, brochures, newspapers, pamphlets, signs, and also pharmaceutical products, textiles, socks, vegetable products, packs of cheese, meat packs, shoe soles or the like may be bound in stacks.
A tape banding machine operates semi-automatically or fully automatically. A winding tape made of paper, coated paper or plastic forms a loop into which the stack to be bound, the packed product, is introduced. The winding tape whose free end is clamped is pulled back, either controlled by a sensor or triggered by a manual or foot switch, until it lies adjacent to the packed product. Soft stacks may be more or less pressed together manually. The clamped end is then glued or welded to the tightened tape and out off.